Lips Are Movin': Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Johnnie Vinson's arrangement captures the song's irresistible hook while distributing musical interest strategically across the band. The Grade 2 scoring makes it accessible without sacrificing the tight, syncopated feel that makes the original so engaging, and students genuinely want to play something their peers actually listen to outside rehearsal.

Bright, propulsive, and unapologetically fun. The arrangement pulses with modern pop energy while maintaining the clarity and articulation that concert band settings demand. Students feel the groove immediately.

Bands looking to program contemporary repertoire that still challenges students musically. Works especially well for ensembles seeking to bridge pop culture and concert band tradition, or as an accessible opener that generates visible enthusiasm from audiences.

• Treat the rhythmic unison passages as the heartbeat of the arrangement. Nail the pocket together, and everything else locks naturally.
• Balance the horn and saxophone sections carefully in the opening; both should cut through with equal presence rather than one overpowering the other.
• Keep the tempo steady and dance-like. This piece thrives on consistent groove rather than technical rushing.

Program this early in a concert to set an upbeat tone, or pair it with contrasting lyrical repertoire to showcase the band's stylistic range. It works particularly well in spring concerts or events where you want to connect with younger audiences in the crowd.

• Syncopated rhythmic accuracy and ensemble coordination
• Sectional balance and blend in polyphonic textures
• Stylistic interpretation of contemporary pop idioms
• Maintaining steady groove against syncopated counterlines